Feedback: November 2020

Question: What is the top health & wellness benefit concern of your employees, and how are you addressing their needs?

Matthew Fehling

President and CEO
Better Business Bureau Pacific Southwest
Sector: Nonprofit

  This year has been tough. We can’t control much of anything right now, but we can do our best to help our employees feel supported at work. We pivoted nearly overnight to a work-from-anywhere philosophy that added distractions and lacked routine, which took a mental toll on us all. 

At BBB, we provide many benefits like medical insurance and generous paid time off, but we stepped up during this hardship. Our team needed more ways to stay in touch in this overly digital time, so the theme Connected w/ BBB was quickly woven into all our staff programs. 

We started a pen pal program, parent support group and diversity committee. Then, we added Google Chat Rooms to host spirit weeks that encourage fun breaks throughout the workday. And when times get overwhelming, our new benefit, Lifeguides, is ready with peer-to-peer support to help address wellness and work-life balance. 

We’re truly only as good as the people who work for us, and we’re honored to do our part to advance our mission of trust led by this amazing team.   

For the last 25 years, Matthew Fehling has dedicated his career to ensuring BBB remains a relevant and trusted source. Fehling was appointed president of BBB Serving the Pacific Southwest in 2006, which is one of the largest and most innovative BBB’s in the nation. He has served in several distinctive and vital roles across the country, including those at the International Association of BBBs. 

Stephen Jordan

Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer
Desert Financial Credit Union
Sector: Financial

The Covid-19 pandemic helped us focus on the overall well-being of our employees, whether it is workplace safety, personal finances or benefits. In short, do employees truly believe that we have their backs, especially during this time of need?

The answer is yes! We offer comprehensive benefits that include free medical, dental and vision benefits for individual coverage as well as 401(k) and retirement contributions. This year, we partnered with InStride and ASU to offer employees 100% tuition coverage for online undergraduate degrees. Our overall benefits package is truly robust. But we also knew that we needed to do more in other areas to help employees feel fully supported. 

When the pandemic struck, we expanded our sick-time benefits for employees to use for COVID-related illnesses or concerns. We provided incentive and commission floors so that employees’ pocketbooks were protected. During the past six months, Desert Financial spent $1.6 million on various forms of financial support for employees for their peace of mind. These days, a holistic focus on employee well-being is vital.

Stephen Jordan is the chief financial officer for Desert Financial Credit Union, the largest Arizona-based credit union, with $6.3 billion in assets and 341,000 members. Desert Financial’s focus is to “Give and Grow” throughout the state. As a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution, we share our success with our members, community and employees. 

Doug Leventhal

Principal and Chief Operating Officer
Evergreen Devco, Inc.
Sector: Real Estate

Right now, flexibility to work from home during the pandemic is very important. In March, Evergreen moved our workforce to work-from-home. As a result, parents working from home who are helping their school-aged children navigate online learning can schedule their day around their kids. People worried about close contact with others can rest easy knowing there’s no immediate obligation to return to work. Others enjoy their ability to work in the office when they want, based on their comfort level. 

Evergreen is also working to engage our employees in fun, meaningful ways to maintain our culture and the friendships we value during this physical separation. In addition to our bi-weekly “town hall” meetings, we enjoy small-group meetings and other virtual activities, to catch-up with each other.

We believe now, more than ever, it’s critically important to understand our employees’ needs, so we regularly check in, virtually and through anonymous surveys, to better understand how everyone is doing and asses their needs. We want to ensure our people come back to the same, great “family” culture we have enjoyed for the last 46 years!  

Doug Leventhal is Evergreen‘s chief operating officer. He joined Evergreen in 2001. He is involved with all aspects of Evergreen’s retail commercial development as well as overseeing the day-to-day operational aspects of the company. Leventhal received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, and both a Master of Architecture and Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University.